Mid Coast Health Services is pleased to welcome Asthma Educator Stacey Schmidt to its Community Health Education team. A registered respiratory therapist, she brings more than eight years experience educating and treating people who are suffering from heart and lung disease.

In her new role, Schmidt will be spearheading Mid Coast’s Asthma Education Program with the goal of helping asthma sufferers manage symptoms and improve their lifestyles. The program is coordinated with a patient’s primary care provider and offers guidance on a variety of topics including detection of asthma symptoms, how to avoid triggers, and use of available medications that can lessen the effects of asthma.

“Having worked in a busy medical practice for several years, I am very much looking forward to applying my knowledge in a one-on-one, personal setting,” Schmidt said. “My goal is to offer personalized asthma education and individualized support to better manage symptoms and ultimately provide for a better quality of life. Asthma should not be thought of with limitations, only challenges that one must overcome. Helping patients work through those challenges is what we do, together.”

One key component of the program is helping patients and families create Maine Asthma Action Plans, a personalized written strategy that indicates required medications, treatments, and appropriate action should symptoms worsen. Such plans are known to contribute to better health outcomes for the patient that often result in less frequent emergency room visits.

Schmidt will also be available to assist health care providers with coordination of patient care, provide staff training, and advise on national guidelines, ensuring the highest quality care available to asthma sufferers.

The Asthma Education program is part of Healthline, Mid Coast’s community health improvement program that works with local partners to provide quality health education opportunities to the community. A physician’s referral is needed to enroll in the program. For more information, please call 207-373-6595.